AZ Alkmaar Stuns AS Roma
AZ Alkmaar pulled off a surprising victory against AS Roma, with Troy Parrott coming off the bench to score the winning goal in the 80th minute. The victory puts AZ in a strong position to secure a playoff spot and potentially even a top-eight finish.
Parrott Replaces Meerdink
AZ manager Maarten Martens made a bold decision in the striker position, replacing Troy Parrott with 21-year-old Mexx Meerdink. Meerdink had a golden opportunity to open the scoring in the 40th minute but squandered it, sending the ball over the goal.
Few Chances in First Half
Despite Roma's reputation, they created very little danger in the first half. AZ looked more likely to break the deadlock, with Sven Mijnans finding Seiya Maikuma in an unfamiliar position, but Maikuma's header trickled wide.
Parrott's Winning Goal
AZ eventually got the goal they needed in the 80th minute. Jordy Clasie played the ball to David Møller Wolfe, who crossed it to Parrott. The Irish striker made no mistake, tapping the ball home to send the AFAS Stadium into a frenzy.
AZ's Playoff Chances
AZ currently sits in 14th place, with many teams still to play. The Alkmaarders are just two points behind eighth place and four points ahead of the 25th spot. They will face Ferencvaros away in their final match of the league phase.